The present invention relates to a multiway gravity box door and, more particularly, to a multiway gravity box or hopper container and door assembly for selectively storing, transporting and dispensing materials of differing kinds.
Both stationary and transportable hopper containers or gravity boxes have been widely employed in the past for storing, transporting and/or dispensing particulate solid materials. By way of example, transportable gravity boxes have been employed in agriculture for transporting seed, fertilizers and other solid particulate materials to the field where the materials may be used to replenish seed planters and/or fertilizer spreaders in the field.
Most of these prior gravity boxes have only single discharge doors and generally are capable of transporting and dispensing one kind of lading or material at a time, e.g. seed or fertilizer. It is not unusual, however, that a given operation in the field will involve multiple activities at the same time. For example, at planting time, seed and fertilizer are frequently applied to the soil, either in the same pass with the seeder planter or the seed may be applied by a seeder which is immediately followed by a fertilizer applicator or vice versa.
Because these prior single door gravity boxes have been generally capable of transporting and dispensing only one kind of particulate material on the same trip, in order to replenish both of the aforementioned pieces of equipment during the planting operation, it has usually been necessary to provide two gravity boxes at the site of planting, one for replenishing the seed and the other for replenishing the fertilizer. Depending upon the size of the area to be seeded and/or fertilized, it is not uncommon for the situation to occur that neither of these gravity boxes will be filled to their capacity with either seed or fertilizer. Indeed, only one gravity box might have been adequate to transport both the seed and the fertilizer which is needed in a given day's operation, if provision could have been made to separate these two distinct particulate materials in the gravity box and selectively dispense these materials as they are needed. Moreover, it would be desirable if a gravity box which would be capable of such selective dispensing and replenishing, would also be capable, in the alternative, of performing as the prior gravity boxes performed, i.e. to transport and dispense only one material, such as where a large area of land is to be treated in a given day.
Large compartmented gravity boxes having dual compartments and doors have also been employed in the past. The reason for the dual compartments and doors in these gravity boxes has been due to their size, i.e. because the gravity boxes are so large that a single discharge door does not suffice for complete emptying and they are compartmented to allow for use where only a lesser amount of materials are to be transported. As a result, both of the doors are of full standard size and are placed side by side, thereby, necessitating a discharge chute of excessive width to span the side by side standard sized doors. Accordingly, these large gravity boxes are not readily adapted to the use of an auger for unloading and each of the discharge doors are only operable independently of each other and cannot be operated simultaneously.
A gravity box and door assembly incorporating the principles of the present invention is capable of readily performing all of the aforementioned functions and overcomes the problems encountered in the prior gravity boxes. A gravity box and door assembly incorporating the principles of the present invention is capable of selectively storing, transporting and dispensing disparate forms of particulate solid material with economy, ease of operation and a minimum of complexity and expense. Accordingly, a single such gravity box may frequently fulfill a given day's needs where two gravity boxes were previously necessary. In the alternative, a gravity box and door assembly incorporating the principles of the present invention may be readily converted to store, transport and dispense only a single type of particulate material as did the prior gravity boxes, if that is what is desired, without removal or addition of any components to convert the gravity box for this alternative mode of use. In a gravity box and door assembly incorporating the principles of the present invention, a pair of doors are provided which have a total combined width which is only substantially the same as the prior single door gravity boxes and, thereby, the discharge chute may be of shorter length to readily accommodate an auger for unloading of the gravity box. Moreover, the doors of the door assembly incorporating the principles of the present invention may be selectively operated either individually or simultaneously.
In one principal aspect of the present invention, a multiway gravity box and door assembly incorporating the principles of the present invention includes a hopper container defined by a plurality of walls, a partition wall in the hopper container dividing and separating the hopper container into at least two compartments, and first and second openings in at least one of the walls of the hopper container for discharging materials from the compartments. The first opening communicates with one of the compartments and a second opening communicates with the other of the compartments. A first door is slidably movable to cover and uncover the first opening and a second door is slidably movable to cover and uncover the second opening. Operating means selectively moves the first and second doors. The operating means includes a movable engaging means for selectively engaging either of the doors or in the alternative both of the doors simultaneously, and means for moving the movable engaging means in the direction in which the doors slidably move when engaged by the movable engaging means.
In another principal aspect of the present invention, both of the first and second doors include a pin receiving opening therein, and the movable engaging means comprises a pin carrier having a pair of spaced pins thereon, the pin carrier being movable to position the pins adjacent the respective pin receiving openings in the first and second doors, and the pins are selectively insertable in one or both of the pin receiving openings to engage the pin carrier with either one or both of the doors.
In another principal aspect of the present invention, the aforementioned engaging means comprises a third slidable door overlying the first and second doors.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the openings include track means adjacent their side edges in which the first and second doors are slidable.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the aforementioned multiway gravity box and door assembly includes means for transporting the hopper container.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the aforementioned partition wall divides the first and second openings from each other.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.